Context:
The proposed 1,200 MW Kalai-II Hydroelectric Project in Arunachal Pradesh has come under scrutiny because project documents reportedly did not adequately mention the presence of the critically endangered White-bellied Heron habitat in the region. The issue highlights tensions between hydropower expansion and biodiversity conservation in ecologically sensitive Himalayan ecosystems.
- The Kalai-II project is a proposed hydropower project on the Lohit River basin, a tributary of the Brahmaputra River in Arunachal Pradesh.
- The project involves diversion of forest land and requires approval under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 and environmental clearance under the Environment Protection Act, 1986.
- Arunachal Pradesh is part of the Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot, known for rich endemic flora and fauna.
- The White-bellied Heron (Ardea insignis) is one of the world’s rarest birds and is classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List.
- The species inhabits undisturbed riverine forests and freshwater ecosystems in Bhutan, northeast India and parts of Myanmar.
- It is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, providing the highest legal protection in India.
- Hydropower projects can affect river ecology through habitat fragmentation, altered water flow, sedimentation and disturbance to nesting areas.
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